


Infinite Longing

by blakefancier



Category: Captain America (2011), Thor (2011)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-28
Updated: 2011-09-28
Packaged: 2017-10-24 03:11:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakefancier/pseuds/blakefancier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki has something to offer Howard, if only he'll be brave, or stupid, enough to take it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Infinite Longing

**Author's Note:**

> What am I doing? I don't know, but I'm having fun.

"Who am I looking at?" Howard said as he stared through the two-way mirror at the dark-haired man sitting in the interrogation room.

"He says his name is Loki Odinson, like the Norse myth." Nathaniel chuckled softly and gently nudged Howard's shoulder. "He says that he's from another planet and he's here to help us."

"Do we have confirmation that he's human?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "For all we know he's an alien."

"What do the tests say?" Howard doesn't try to keep the irritation out of his voice. He'd rather be in his lab than up here.

"That's just it, the samples we take from him keep disappearing as soon as we try to run tests on them."

"They keep… " Howard glanced at Nathaniel and frowned.

"Loki *was* the god of mischief. Maybe this guy is screwing with us." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

In the other room, Loki tilted his head and grinned; Howard had no doubt in his mind that Loki knew they were there. "I'm sure he is. So why am I here, Nate? Don't we have professionals who deal with this sort of thing?"

"Don't tell me you'd rather be at home." Nathaniel grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

Howard stared at Loki and gave a half-hearted shrug. "Maria wants to try to get pregnant again."

"So soon after…" He let his voice trail off.

"The doctor said it was all right." Howard sighed. "She wants a baby. And I want her to be happy."

There was an awkward pause, then Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Loki asked for you by name."

"He…" Howard started at that.

"He says he's been watching us for a long time." He shuddered. "There's something not right about this guy."

"Magic?" Oh, God, Howard hated magic.

Nathaniel made a face. "I think so."

He took a deep breath and headed towards the door. "Let's find out."

*****

Loki's eyes narrowed, then he smirked when Howard entered the room.

Howard sat across the table from him and returned his gaze. "So, Loki Odinson. We've never had a god in this room before."

"You don’t think you have a god in this room now, Howard Stark. But it's of no consequence to me if you believe I am who I say I am." Loki leaned back in his chair.

He smiled and tilted his head. "If you're a god, how is it that we captured you?"

"Perhaps I let you capture me," Loki whispered.

"Why would you do that?"

Loki laughed and leaned forward. "You're a handsome man, Howard. Why should the Greek gods have all the fun?"

"I am a very handsome man. And rich, too. But that's not it. Come on, Loki, you can tell me the truth."

"You have to tell me something first." Loki gave Howard a predatory smile.

"All right," he said, though his instincts were telling him to run for the nearest exit.

"Does your wife know that your annual fishing trip is to Antarctica? Does she know that you're hoping to hook a captain?"

Howard stumbled to his feet. "How the hell did you know that?"

"I could tell you where Steve is, Howard. I could give you his exact location."

His heart pounded in his chest and he fought the urge to reach over and demand the coordinates. "Out of the goodness of your heart?"

"No." Loki lifted a hand and began to inspect his nails "You have something of mine and I want it back."

"What? What do you want?" He clenched his hands.

"It's a small thing. A cube. A small cube."

Howard laughed; he should have known. "No deal." He turned and walked towards the door.

"Don't you want to find me, Howard?" said an achingly familiar voice, a voice he hadn't heard in over ten years.

He stopped and struggled with himself. _Don't turn around,_ he thought. _If you do, you'll regret it._

"Howard, please."

"Bastard!" He spun on his heel and, oh God, Steve. It was Steve in his uniform, looking happy and just a little shy. For a moment he let his eyes drink in the image of Steve alive and standing in the room with him. Then he shook his head; it wasn't real. Steve was dead. "No."

The image blurred back to Loki. "I could be him for you, Howard. All you have to do is give me the cube."

"Go to hell." He turned and yanked open the door.

Nathaniel was waiting for him with a glass of bourbon.

*****

Howard knew that he should *not* be watching Loki stretched out on a cot in one of SHIELD's cells. He should be a home with Maria, her slight body cradled against his, warm and soft. Beautiful. He shouldn't be thinking about Loki and Steve and what it might feel like to have someone cradle him, to be the slight one, the smaller one.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Steve was dead and his body was gone.

And he…

"I can't," he said, his voice thick and trembling. "I can't."

*****

Loki smirked when the door opened and Howard walked into the cell. "I can't give you the cube. We don't even have it."

"And yet you still want something from me." Loki's voice was low and seductive.

"I can give you enough time to escape. I—"

"I can leave any time I wish." Loki sat up and in one smooth movement, rose to his feet.

Howard swallowed hard. "A favor, then. I'll owe you a favor."

"Yes." Loki smiled slowly and in two strides was standing in front of Howard. "I like that idea. What would you like from me, Howard? Shall I make sure that pretty wife of yours gives birth? Would you like a beautiful baby boy with her blue eyes and your intelligence?"

"You stay away from her!" He grabbed the front of Loki's shirt.

"Then what do you want? I want to hear the words."

He shoved Loki away, his face burning with shame, the pit of his belly twisting with something dark and needy. "Steve. I want… I want you to be Steve."

Loki blurred and from one blink to the next, Steve was standing there. And it wasn't just any Steve, it was the Steve who had just stepped out of the capsule, sweaty and slick, wearing a pair of pants that were suddenly too small for him. Howard let out a small, involuntary cry.

"Howard?" Steve said and licked his lips. "Are you all right?"

And it was just the right mix of worried and hesitation. And young. Steve sounded so young.

"Fine. Steve, I'm fine." He laid a hand on Steve's cheek and blinked away the tears.

"Don't tell me you were worried?" Steve turned his head and kissed Howard's fingertips.

"No, no, I wasn't worried. I knew you'd be okay." He cupped the back of Steve's head and pulled him close.

Steve smiled and it was almost perfect. Almost.

Howard kissed him, hard and frantic, trying to draw out something he could hold onto. Trying to find something real. _I love you and I miss you every day,_ he didn't say.

*****

"I hope it was worth it," Nathaniel said the next morning when he strolled into the cell.

Howard rubbed his eyes and sat up, wincing slightly. He was sore and tired and he desperately needed a shower. "Ask me later. I might even have an answer. You should get a technician down here to take samples."

Nathaniel blinked. "Samples?"

"Fluid samples. There should be traces in my mouth and…" He gestured and had the distinct pleasure of seeing Nathaniel blush. "Tell them to hurry. I want to go home."

He wanted, more than anything, to hold his wife and tell her that he loved her.


End file.
